Snow Covered Rendezvous
by Savviness
Summary: Her feelings started as a mere crush when they were both little, but now it's developed into something more. So what's the problem? He's her boss, and the one guy she thinks she can't have.
1. Starting the Day

I started this story because I knew I could write much better than Mistletoe & Heartache. I don't know if I'll finish that story or not. Evelyn's background has been changed a bit. This is set five years after the first movie. Bernard looks like he did in that movie, and acts like it for the most part. Hopefully you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Disclaimer: I don't own The Santa Clause or any of its characters. I do, however, own Evelyn, Jeremiah, and any other characters that did not appear in the movie.

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Chapter One: Starting the Day

I wake up to the incessant ringing of my alarm clock. Groaning, I reach over to turn it off. My hand fumbles around on my nightstand because I haven't opened my eyes just yet, nearly knocking my lamp off before finally settling on the small, annoying device. The shrill ringing stops, and I sigh in relief, snuggling into my pillow. I almost drift back into the wonderful world of my dreams when someone starts pounding on my bedroom door.

"Wake up, Sis!" my brother calls merrily. "You need to get ready for work!"

I squeeze my eyes tightly shut and snuggle deeper into my pillow, trying to ignore him. It's useless, however, because he's not going anywhere until he knows I'm up and about. I silently curse him for being such a morning person. Being as I'm more of a night owl, he has to know he'll pay for this tonight, but right now he's enjoying having the upper hand. I slowly sit up and open my eyes. Once they've adjusted to the light filtering through my window, I glare at the door, wishing I could burn a hole through it and Remy, too.

"I'm up, Jeremiah!" I call in an annoyed voice. "So you can stop banging on my door before you break it down!"

"Just making sure you have plenty of time to get ready. Being late the day after you received a promotion won't exactly please the boss, now will it?" he replies with laughter in his voice, but the pounding stops and I hear his footsteps heading away from my door.

I grumble as I climb out of my nice warm bed, heading for my closet. I sift through its contents before settling on a blue dress. I gently lay it out on my bed, shoving the covers away from it as to keep it wrinkle free, then head for the chest of drawers. I choose my undergarments carefully, though I don't know why. It's not as if anyone's going to see them. I stand there for a moment, deliberating on whether or not I want to wear tights today. Deciding that I'll forgo the tights, I grab a pair of socks, laying them beside the dress on my bed. I don't bother locking my door as I make my way into the bathroom adjoining my room. Remy never comes into my room, and I never go into his. It's one of the most important rules of the house.

I turn the knob marked with an 'H' all the way, while barely turning the one marked with a 'C' on at all. I like my showers hot and steamy. I strip out of my nightclothes and climb under the spray of water, sighing as my whole body relaxes. I just stand there for a minute or two, relishing in the feel of the water beating down on me before I start showering. About thirty minutes later, I climb out of the shower, feeling refreshingly clean. I wrap my hair up in a towel and quickly dry my body off before wrapping a towel around me. I sit down at my vanity, drying my hair as best as I could with the towel. After it has soaked up all the water out of my hair it could hold, I drop it on the ground. I pick up my blow dryer and begin the task of fixing my hair. This takes me forty-five minutes altogether. My hair is long and naturally curly, so it takes at least thirty minutes blow dry. Then I have to fix it so that the curls are soft and elegant, as opposed to wild and frizzy.

After my hair is just the way I like it, I go over to the bed and slip into my clothes. After pulling on my socks, I slide my feet into black boots that stop in the middle of my calf. I fasten their many buckles before standing up and looking myself over in the full length mirror hanging on the back of my door. My hair is as black as ebony, falling to my waist in the curls I fixed with care. My eyes are the darkest shade of blue possible without a trace of black, the same color as the dress I'm wearing. The dress has spaghetti straps, a padded Emma bust with pleating, and a silver satin sash set at an empire waist that only goes halfway around. It falls to rest three inches above my knee, leaving my legs exposed until they reach my boots. Frowning, I go back over to my vanity, applying the small amount of make up I wear. Just enough blue eye shadow to compliment my eyes and clear lip gloss that makes my full, rose red lips shine. Elves are naturally easy on the eyes, but we Christmas elves have an extra something that makes our cheeks sparkle. My two closest friends, Jacquelyn and Daniel, argue with me that I'm gorgeous. I just don't see it. All I see when I look in the mirror is an ordinary Christmas elf. I'm really not that special.

I stand up, grabbing a black, denim half-jacket from the back of the chair I was just sitting in and slip it on so that the black straps of my bra don't show. The bottom of it barely touches the top of the satin sash on the dress and the sleeves end right before they reach my elbows. I leave it unbuttoned so the front of the dress is visible and look myself over once more. Feeling somewhat satisfactory, I walk over and open the door, grabbing a small black pouch on my way out.

Remy is waiting impatiently at the bottom of the stairs, pacing back and forth and checking his watch every few seconds. I roll my eyes as I step off of the bottom step while slipping the pouch into my jacket pocket. He looks up at me with relieved eyes that match my own. Remy's my twin, and though we're fraternal rather than identical, we do look quite a bit alike. He keeps his ebony hair short and spiked, but when it's long, it's curly. Not as curly as my own, though. He's taller than me by about six inches when I'm not wearing shoes, making him one of the tallest elves working at the North Pole. With my boots, however, he's only three inches taller.

"It took you long enough, Evy! We've got fifteen minutes to get there!" he cries in frustration.

"It only takes us ten minutes to walk there, Remy, so chillax, will ya?" I groan when I notice his outfit. His shirt's the same color as my dress, with silver vertical stripes. His pants are black, as are his boots. "Great. People are going to think we planned this," I say with an exasperated sigh as I gesture wildly to our outfits.

"Well, we don't have time for either of us to go change," he states. He opens the door and motions for me to walk ahead of him. "So we're just going to have to deal with whatever ridiculous twin comments come our way."

I shake my head as I walk past him out onto the porch, but I can't help the small smile playing on my lips. He's right. Some people find it insanely hilarious when we end up dressing alike. "At least we work in different departments," I say as he closes the door and locks it. He grins, previous annoyance forgotten.

"Amen to that." I look at the snow covering the ground, the snow that's the same color as my skin, and smile. I love the snow. Even though it's snowing and my legs are bare, I'm not cold. We Christmas elves are used to the constant cold weather of our home. That doesn't mean that we could walk around in next to nothing and be perfectly warm, though. Even elves have a tendency to get cold every now and then. Remy and I walk to the workshop in silence, getting there with five minutes to spare before we have to clock in.

"See you at lunch," I call as I head for my department. "If you can't make it, don't worry about it. I remember what it's like when you first get promoted," Remy calls after me.

I wave my hand over my head not sure if he was still looking as I head for my department. I start to feel a bit uneasy as I walk through the halls alone. I've never been in the workshop when it was this empty before. Biting my bottom lip, I cross my arms over my stomach, hugging myself as I continue down the empty corridors. I wish there were at least a few workers bustling about.

A door to my right opens suddenly, and my hands fly to my mouth, stifling a gasp as I jump. Bernard, the Head Elf of Santa's workshop and my boss, steps out into the hall. Great, just great. He's looking at me with raised eyebrows, and I feel my cheeks heat up as I blush.

"Are you alright, Evelyn?" I nod slowly, removing my hands from my mouth.

"Fine," I reply, sounding slightly breathless. I can feel my blush deepen as I clear my throat. "You just startled me, that's all."

A ghost of a smile plays on his lips. "Sorry," he says, surprising me. I don't think I've ever heard him apologize to anyone but Santa. "I didn't mean to."

I shake my head a little too fast, and I can feel my curls fly around me as I do. "S'okay. I've just never been here when the halls were empty. It's kind of creepy." There's no trace of that smile now, and I wonder if I imagined it.

He looks up and down the halls. "I suppose it can seem a bit creepy."

I doubt he's ever been spooked while walking through these halls alone. I shrug. "I just don't like being alone. Must be the whole twin thing."

"Hmm, maybe," he replies thoughtfully as he turns to lock the door he just came out of. I notice his name on the door in large, gold letters with his title underneath in smaller red letters outlined in gold. I can't stop the smile that spreads across my lips.

When Bernard had first been given the Head Elf position five hundred years ago, he didn't have his own office. He just worked alongside Santa in Santa's office. I imagine it was quite cramped, no matter how big Santa's desk is. After Steven Carmichael became Santa, fifty years after Bernard received the title, he insisted Bernard have his own office. It didn't take long for the design team to finish the task. I personally painted his name on the door of his new office in his favorite colors, though he doesn't know that. I doubt he even knows that I know his favorite colors. I might have had a small crush on him back then.

He turns around to look at me and I quickly avert my eyes from the letters on his office door. "Have you clocked in yet?" he asks glancing down at his watch. My eyes widen once again.

"Oh! I gotta go!" I spin around, ready to run to my department and clock in, when his hand on my arm stops me.

"Its okay, Evelyn. I know you were here on time," he says. There's a hint of laughter in his voice that makes my eyes widen a bit more. "I'll just doctor your time."

"Oh," I reply as my cheeks heat up again. I'm looking up at him because he's the same height as Remy. 'Way to go, Evy!' I mentally berate myself. 'He touches you and you loose the ability to form a single coherent thought!' Okay, maybe my crush didn't fade away. Maybe it escalated into something more. "Um, thanks."

He smiles down at me, and I know I'm not imagining it this time. My heart rate increases exponentially. Bernard rarely smiles, though he really should do it more often. "It's not a problem. Just don't let it happen again, okay?" I nod, because I can't seem to do anything else. "Now get to work."

His words aren't the harsh, commanding tone I've heard him use countless times before. The one that I'm used to. Instead it's the rare, gentler tone that only a handful of people have heard. That tone has never been directed at me. He lets go of my arm and I spin on my heel as my face heats up again. Dear Lord, how many times can he possibly make me blush? Answer: Three times within thirty minutes. As I walk off down the hall, I fight the urge to glance back. As I turn the corner, though, the temptation gets the best of me and I glance at the spot where I left him. He's not there anymore, and I sigh, mentally kicking myself for thinking he would be.

I know it's highly unethical to fall for your boss, but it's not like I meant to do it. It just kind of happened. It's not like he's ever treated me any different than he does everyone else. In fact, I've had quite my share of scolding. But I've seen the rare smiles of satisfaction he allows himself when things are running smoothly and he thinks no one is paying attention. I've seen him point elves out to Santa, and then give a chuckle at the looks on their faces when Santa personally thanks them for doing such a good job. I've even seen him joking and laughing with Quintin when they both thought everyone else had left for the night.

I reach my department and quickly clock in before heading to my new desk. I smile as I sit down in the chair behind, still unable to believe that I was promoted. As I sit there waiting for my team to show up, I mentally track how my crush developed into love. It started off with glimpses of those rare moments, which I soon found myself smiling at. He slowly began to drift through my thoughts more and more, and I found myself wondering if I could ever make him smile, albeit a smile just for me. Shortly after that, he began to invade my dreams. It wasn't long after that that I realized I was falling for him.

Then one night I stumbled upon something that sealed my fate.

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I'd like to thank volley07 for beta reading for me! Thanks so much! Please review! Please, please, please!


	2. Flashback

Disclaimer: I own nothing that can be recognized from the movie... -Heavy sigh.-

Okay, sorry this chapter took so long to get out. My life's been a bit on the hectic side as of late. I don't know how long it will be before the next chapter comes out, but it will come out. This chapter is in past tense, because Evelyn's remembering what happened, but the next chapter will be back in present tense. Thanks to volley07 for betaing! You're a great help! I hope you all enjoy!

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I was sitting outside on the bottom front step, waiting for Remy to get off work so that we could walk home together. My feet were stretched out in front of me and crossed at the ankles. I was leaning back with my elbows resting on the step behind me. I had my head tilted back, watching the stars twinkle in the night sky. The sound of snow being crunched underneath someone's shoes told me I was no longer alone. I shifted my gaze to look in front of me as I sat up.

She was small, and I knew she couldn't have been any older than four hundred years. Her soft, light brown curls fell just past her shoulders, but it was her big, brown eyes that caught my attention. They were vaguely familiar, yet I couldn't quite place where I'd seen them before. She was wearing a rich, red velvet dress with short sleeves and a Venice lace adornment set at an empire waist. Rosettes embellished the lace, giving it an elegant touch. It fell just slightly past her knees. White tights covered her legs and black dress shoes donned her feet. She looked nervous, standing there with her hands clasped tightly in front of her.

"Are you lost, sweetie?" I asked her in a kind voice.

She shook her head. "I came to wait for my brother." Her voice was soft and unsure.

"Oh, well, I'm waiting for my brother too. You can wait with me if you'd like."

She shifted from one foot to the other. "I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."

I smiled. "That's a very good thing. My name is Evelyn, but you can call me Evy. I work here," I told her, holding my hand out for her to shake.

She reached up to shake my hand timidly as she replied, "I'm Jenna. My brother works here, too."

"It's very nice to meet you, Jenna," I said, taking my hand back. I patted the step beside me. "Now that we know each other, would you like to sit down and wait with me?"

She nodded and sat down beside me smiling. "What now?"

"Well, I was admiring the constellations. We could admire them together."

Her face screwed up in confusion. "What's a con-sa-lay-shun?"

I laughed. "A con-stel-la-tion. It's a group of stars that make a picture. Let me show you." I looked up at the sky, trying to spot an easy one. I mentally went down the list of constellations easily spotted in May and quickly found one that had always fascinated me. "Ah! You see that bunch of stars right there?" I asked, scooting closer so I could trace the stars where she could see.

"Uh-huh."

"Well, that constellation is called Centaurus, because it resembles a Centaur."

"A what?"

I couldn't help but giggle at the look on her face. "It's a cross between a man and a horse. See, from here down," I motioned from my waist down, "it had the body of a horse. And from here up," this time I motioned from my waist up, "it has the body of a man."

"Oh," Jenna said, looking back up at the stars I had outlined for her. She scrunched up her face in concentration and tilted her head to one side. Then her eyes opened wide and she squealed gleefully, "I see it! Show me another one!"

I grinned and looked back up at the sky. "Let me see," I murmured as I searched. "Okay, see those stars?" She nodded. "That constellation is called Virgo, the Maiden. It's the astrological sign of people born between August 23rd and September 22nd. I'm a Virgo."

"Really? When's your birthday?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"September 16th."

"My birthday's February 14th. What's my sign?!"

"A Valentine's baby," I commented. She nodded. I though about it for a moment. "You're an Aquarius, the Water Bearer."

"Is it up there?" She pointed to the sky.

"It sure is, but it'll be hard to find tonight. It's best seen in October." Her face fell, and I didn't want her to be sad, so I told her, "Ask your parents if you can come back in October, and I'll show it to you."

The sad look didn't entirely fade, though it did dissipate a little. "I don't have any parents. Momma died when I was born and Daddy died a little while later. Bubba says Daddy died of a broken heart."

"I'm sorry," I said softly.

"It's okay," she replied. "Bubba takes real good care of me."

"So it's just you and your brother?"

"Uh-huh."

"He must love you very much." She smiled and nodded. We sat there in silence for a few minutes before a thought crossed my mind. "Jenna, do you have a baby sitter?"

She shifted uncomfortably again. "'Course I do. Bubba would never leave me home alone."

"Then where is your baby sitter?"

Jenna sighed. "At my house."

I started to say something else, but a voice behind us stopped me. "Jenna? What are you doing here?"

"Bubba!" she cried, standing and bounding up the stairs. My eyes were wide, and I forgot how to breathe momentarily. I knew that voice. I blinked, took a deep breath, stood up, and turned around. Sure enough, there was Bernard, holding Jenna in his arms, and I suddenly knew why her eyes looked so familiar. "This is Evy. She was showing me the con-" She paused, her face scrunching up in concentration. "Con-stel-la-tions." She looked at me. "Right?"

I couldn't stop the smile that touched my lips as I nodded. "Right."

Jenna beamed at Bernard, but she squirmed nervously under his stern gaze. "You're not supposed to talk to strangers," Bernard scolded her.

"She didn't," I piped up, causing him to look at me. I fought hard not to squirm under his intense gaze. "We've been introduced."

He raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

Jenna nodded zealously. "Yep!" Then she squirmed until he sat her down. She bounded down the steps to stand by me, pointing up at Bernard. "This is my brother, Bernard."

I smiled down at her. "I know your brother, Jenna."

She tilted her head to the side, much like she'd done earlier. "You do?"

"Mm-hmm," I replied while nodding.

She spun around to look up at Bernard, who was watching us with his arms crossed and a neutral expression. "You know Evy?"

He sighed as he uncrossed his arms and walked down the steps. "Yeah, I know her."

"She's really nice!"

"I know she is, Jenna," he said, causing my eyebrows to shoot up, but I didn't say anything. "Where's Mrs. Carrol?"

Jenna shifted like she had when I asked a similar question earlier. "She fell asleep. I didn't want to be alone, and she wouldn't wake up."

"Jenna, you just can't leave like that. If Mrs. Carrol wakes up, she'll be worried sick."

She sighed heavily. "I know. I'm sorry." Then her eyes lit up. "But I met Evy! If I stayed at home, Evy would still be a stranger." She beamed up at me.

"That's true, but Bernard's right, Jenna." I knelt down so that I was eye level with her. "You know, Mrs. Carrol used to baby-sit me and my brother, and when she'd fall asleep, I'd sneak out, too."

"Really?" she asked, her eyes wide. Bernard's eyebrows shot up questioningly, as if he wasn't sure I was helping any.

"Really," I continued, ignoring the butterflies in my stomach. "But one night after I snuck out, it started snowing really bad, and I couldn't see anything. I got lost because I couldn't see the way home."

"What happened?" she asked breathlessly. Bernard was watching me with curiosity, like he was interested in what happened, too.

"I curled up under a tree, trying to stay warm. I don't know how long I was there, but I remember wishing I was at home in my nice warm bed. I started thinking about my brother, about how I wished he was with me. A few minutes later, he was there. He had led my daddy right to the tree I was under. They told me later that I'd been missing for a little over an hour before Remy ran out the door, saying he knew where I was."

"How did he know?" Bernard asked this time, surprising me into looking up at him. The butterflies went crazy.

"Yeah, how?" Jenna repeated in awe.

I stood up and turned to look at the doors to the workshop, an endearing smile on my lips. "Jeremiah's my twin." I looked down at Jenna to explain, "That means we have the exact same birthday."

"Really?!"

"Yep." I turned back toward the doors. "They say that twins share a special bond, deeper than most siblings. We can sense what the other one's feeling or thinking every now and then. We even have our own special language."

"Wow!" she exclaimed softly, and I turned my gaze back to her. She spun around really fast, almost falling over, but I reached down to put a hand on her back to steady her, beating Bernard who had been reaching for her arm. He looked a little surprised, and started to say something, but Jenna was already asking, "Do you know her brother, too?"

He nodded as he shifted his gaze from me to her. "Yeah, I do. He looks just like Evelyn."

She spun back around to me. "Just like you?"

"Well, his hair is shorter and not as curly, but yeah, just like me," I said giggling.

"Can I meet him, Bubba, please?" she pleaded, turning to look back up at Bernard.

Bernard's eyes met mine, and I could tell he was asking for help. I didn't blame him for not wanting to introduce Jenna to Remy. Remy would find a way to tease him mercilessly afterward, despite Bernard being his boss. It would probably be all over the shop in two days. Ignoring my heart's objections, I lowered my eyes from his to look at Jenna. She was looking back and forth between us now. "Remy's pretty busy tonight, Jenna. How about some other time?"

"Alright," she said in a disappointed voice, her gaze lowering to the snow on the ground. Then she yawned, covering her mouth with her hand, making her ten times more adorable.

"Come on, Jenna. You need to be in bed," Bernard said in a gentle tone, holding his hand out to her. I had to fight the smile that threatened to form on my lips. It would have revealed too much of what I was feeling.

"I don't wanna go!" she cried, stomping her foot, causing a puff of snow to fly into the air. "I wanna stay and look at the constellations!"

I couldn't help what I did next. I laughed. Jenna grinned up at me broadly while Bernard glared at me, letting me know I wasn't helping. "Sorry," I mumbled once my laughter had died down, shaking my head. I was about to say they could stay a bit longer, if he was okay with it, when a tingle manifested itself in my stomach. I looked down at her and said, "Actually, Jenna, I have to go now, too."

Jenna pouted while looking up at me. "Do you have to?"

"Yep. Remy's done, so he'll be here in a few minutes," I directed the last at Bernard, looking up at him. He blinked. I think he was surprised that I was warning him so that he and Jenna could be gone before Remy came out. He gave me a grateful smile, the first smile that he had ever directed my way, and I felt my heart skip a beat.

"How do you know he's done?" Jenna asked.

"Because of the twin thing I was telling you about," I said, smiling down at her. "Now go on home and go to bed. The stars will be out tomorrow night. I'll even send some books home with Bernard that taught me how to spot constellations, okay?"

"Really? Thank you, Evy!" she cried, giving me a quick hug, which I returned with a small laugh. Then she grabbed hold of Bernard's hand and began dragging him down the street after saying good-bye. She started rambling on and on about the constellations I had shown her, though she mispronounced Centaurus. Bernard waved to me, and I gave a little wave back. Then he turned around to listen intently to his sister. I watched them disappear from sight, not noticing when Jeremiah walked up behind me.

"What are you staring at? And why are you smiling like that?" he asked from right behind me, making me "eep!" and jump.

"Remy!" I scolded as he laughed. As his questions registered in my mind, I felt my cheeks starting to heat up. "I-I don't know what you mean," I stuttered.

"You were staring off in that direction," he said, motioning toward the street Bernard and Jenna had disappeared down, "with this dreamy smile. I'm not blind or stupid, Evelyn. What's going on?"

The heat in my cheeks increased. "Just… don't worry about it, Remy. Let's go home."

I started walking toward the street our house was on, and he jogged after me until he was walking beside me. I could feel his curiosity through our link, but he didn't push the matter. I was glad he didn't, because I really didn't feel like explaining to my brother that I was in love with our boss. He would bombard me with an array of questions I didn't want to answer. Hours later I found myself lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, worrying over my situation. I was officially screwed, because I'd fallen for the one guy I couldn't have.

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Reviews are golden droplets of inspiration!


	3. Wedding Plans

Okay, here's the next chapter. I am so sorry it took so long to get out! I even decided not to get it betaed because it's been so long since I updated. I must warn you, updates will be coming a bit slower than I had planned. I have a few other stories I'm working on, and unfortunately, my muse has been tuned in to them rather than this one. I will not give up on this story. I have so many of the scenes worked out already, I'm just trying to piece them together. So, bare with me! Also, much thanks to wonton-chan, AbigailRagan, and my anonymous reviewer! Hopefully this chapter doesn't disappoint you!

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**Chapter Three: Wedding Plans**

I'm brought back to the present by the elves who now work under me shuffling in. Amongst them is my closest friend, Daniel. He makes his way to stand in front of my desk and leans on it, his stormy grey eyes staring into mine.

"Congratulations, hon!"

I smile up at him, resting my elbows on my desk. I fold my hands and rest my chin on them. "You congratulated me yesterday, Daniel."

"Well, I wanted to do it again! It's not everyday my best friend gets promoted!" he exclaims, his eyes sparkling.

I laugh. "I think you're more excited about it than I am." I give him a stern look. "Don't think that just because I'm your new boss, you can slack off."

His eyes widen. "I would never!"

"Uh-huh, sure. By the way, Judy's meeting with us in about thirty minutes. Is her dress ready?"

"Of course it is. I'm ready to show it to her." His eyes sparkled again. Daniel is my best clothing designer. I suppose his good taste comes from the fact that he's gay. I smile up at him. I wouldn't trade him for anything in the world.

"Can you tell Kyra to get her things ready?"

"Sure."

"Okay, when we're ready, I'll let you know."

"Great!" He turns and makes his way over to his work station and sits down.

I watch him for a few seconds before I turn my attention back to the papers on my desk. Judy's getting married in two weeks. Daniel, naturally, designed her dress. I was in charge of decorations. Even now, after being promoted, I'm not handing it over to any of my underlings. I grin to myself. I've only been in charge for less than half a day and I'm already referring to them as my underlings. When Judy first asked me to be in charge of decorating her wedding and reception, we went over the basic idea of what she wanted. I quickly scan over the sketches I've made, making sure I'm entirely satisfied with all of it.

I look up as the door to the department opens. Judy walks in, followed by her fiancé Matthew. She stops in front of my desk, giving me a bright smile. Matthew looks like he'd rather be back in wrapping, doing his job. I've decorated a lot of weddings, and in my experience, the groom doesn't exactly thrill at the idea of being involved in the details.

"Hey, Judy. Ready to see what I've cooked up?" I ask, folding my arms on the edge of my desk and leaning forward just slightly.

"I definitely am!" she exclaims, clasping her hands together in front of her.

"Then let's get started," I say with laughter in my voice. "Anna!" I call, catching the attention of a petite blonde elf sitting two stations away from Daniel. "Can you get Judy and Matthew some chairs to sit in please?"

Anna smiles and nods, standing up and heading to a supply closet to her right. She pulls two folding chairs out and closes the closet with her hip. She carefully maneuvers through all the work stations and sets the chairs up on either side of mine.

"Thank you, Anna."

"You're welcome, Evelyn," she replies with a kind smile before walking back to her station.

Judy sits down in one of the chairs while Matthew takes the other one. I pull out the plans for her ceremony. She lets out a soft gasp. Matthew's eyes widen as he stares down at the drawings. I motion with my hands to the different designs as I explain everything.

"I've decided on white Paris seat covers for both the ceremony and the reception. White silk ribbons accented with white roses at every chair will line the isle. Four marble pillars draped in white lace with a matching canopy will form a square. You'll stand in the center as you exchange vows.

"Now, for the reception, I went with round tables with white lace tablecloths. There are eight settings to a table. Your table will be at the back of the hall. It will have a white silk cloth with silver lining and silver Paris seat covers. Behind you there will be a heart shaped archway made of white roses. There will be a small bouquet of white roses, short enough that you can be seen over them. All the other tables will have long, white vases made of ceramic holding a few sprigs of baby's breath as the centerpiece.

"White and silver confetti in the form of the word 'Congratulations' will be sprinkled across every table. Small, white boxes tied with silver ribbon will be placed at every setting on every table. They'll be filled with candies for the guests. There will also be four glass candle holders with white candles on every table. White and silver lace will form a canopy starting at the center of the ceiling and traveling to the point where the ceiling meets the wall before falling to the floor. The white will run to the corners and the silver will run left to right and front to back."

"It's perfect, Evelyn," Judy squeals excitedly when I finish. "I knew it would be."

I smile at her. "I'm glad you like it." I turn to Matthew. "What do you think?"

Matthew blinks, obviously surprised that I'm asking his opinion. "Uh, it's great. I mean, it really is."

"Good," I say, my smile widening. I turn back to Judy. "Would you like to see your dress?"

"Yes!" She hops up out of her chair.

"I think I'll just wait here," Matthew offers, saving me the trouble of asking if he's allowed to see the dress.

"We'll be back in just a few minutes," I inform him before walking over to Daniel's station, Judy following close behind. "We're ready, Daniel."

Daniel grins and quickly stands up. "Right this way, ladies."

As Daniel leads us to the closed off room just for his use, I tell Judy, "Kyra has your menus ready, along with sketches of your cakes. You can go see her right after this."

"Wow, Evy," she giggles. "You've been the Head of Design for only a few hours and I can already tell Bernard made the right choice."

I give a modest smile. "Thanks, Judy, but I just got started. I could have a meltdown in two days for all we know."

Daniel gives a flourished wave of his hand. "Don't listen to her, Judy. She's just being modest."

I start to say something back to him, but he opens the door to his room and ushers us in. Judy lets out another soft gasp. My eyes grow wide as I stare at the dress in front of us. The body of the dress is made of white satin. It has a straight neck and hugs the body until the natural waist line, where it bells out. There's a small amount of white embroidery on the center of the bottom. It has white organza arms decorated with embroidery that bell out just past the elbows.

"Oh, Daniel," she breathes. "It's gorgeous!" Daniel beams down at her. "Of course it is! I designed it, didn't I?"

I roll my eyes. Daniel has no lack of confidence whatsoever. "Get over yourself, Daniel."

"You're just jealous," he replies in a sassy tone.

I roll my eyes again, shaking my head before he ushers us back out. Matthew is sitting exactly where we left him, but he's looking over the decorating plans again. The small smile on his face lets me know that he does, indeed, like them. Daniel grins as he heads back to his work station. Judy follows me back to my desk. I clear my throat and Matthew's head snaps up.

"Uh, I was just," he begins in a stutter. "I mean," he's having trouble finding what he wants to say.

"It's okay, Matthew," I reassure him, smiling kindly. I turn back to the group of elves working under me, still a bit overwhelmed that I'm their Head. "Kyra," I call. A brunette elf looks up at me. "Are you ready to fill Judy in on what will be served at her reception?"

Kyra nods, a smile playing on her lips. "Yes, Ma'am."

I groan. "Please, Kyra, it's just Evy. I don't like being called Ma'am."

Kyra grins. "Yes, Evy."

"Kyra is in charge of the catering. I have the highest faith in her," I tell Judy.

"Great!" Judy exclaims. She moves to pick up her chair, but Matthew beats her to it. She smiles brightly at him as he carries their chairs over to Kyra's desk. She turns to me, "Thank you again, Evy. For everything."

"It wasn't a problem, Judy. Really."

She beams at me before turning around and bounding over to take her seat between Kyra and Matthew. I move to sit back down behind my desk, moving the folder with Judy's wedding plans to the side. Before I can figure out what I need to be working on, someone taps me on the shoulder. I turn around to find Larry standing there with a small smile on his face.

"Hey, Evy. Quintin was wondering if you could come down to Research & Development real quick. Says he needs your help with a design."

"Of course! Give me one moment," I say as I stand up. He nods and I walk over to Daniel. Leaning on his desk, I say, "Hey, I have to go over to Research & Development for a bit to help Quintin. Keep an eye on things for me?"

"Of course, doll," he says flippantly. "Tell Quintin I said hi, would ya?"

I giggle. "You know I will."

He winks at me and I laugh as I walk back over to Larry, motioning for him to lead the way. As I follow him, I can't help the amused smile that forms on my lips. Quintin came out just under two hundred years ago. Ever since then, Daniel's been flirting shamelessly with him. Of course, Daniel's always had a thing for the Head of Research & Development. I'm so absorbed in my own thoughts that I hardly notice when we stop outside of Quintin's department.

"Well, I have other things I need to be doing," Larry says as he turns to leave. "See ya later, Evy."

"Bye," I call after him before pushing the door open and stepping through it.

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Sorry if it's a bit shorter than the last two. I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can. If you want to see more, reviews help inspire!


	4. Helping Quintin

Okay, here's the fourth chapter. I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed and put this story on their alerts! It maketh me happy! I realize that this seems to be going fairly slow 'cause we're still on Evelyn's first day of being promoted, but after this it will pick up. I just wanted to get some things established before I rushed ahead. The next chapter will take place the day of Judy's wedding. It probably won't be out for a while, because my muse is overloaded my brain with story ideas. I'll try to have it out as soon as I can, though! I hope you enojy this chapter!

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**Chapter Four: Helping Quintin**

Quintin's easy enough to spot. His long braid of flaming red hair is hard to miss. I quickly make my way over to where he's standing by his desk, looking down at something stretched across the surface. There's a frown marring his features, making his brow crease slightly.

"Quintin?" I make his name a question.

He's so absorbed in whatever has him frowning that he jumps at the sound of my voice. Turning wide eyes on me, he places a hand over his heart. "Evelyn, you startled me!"

I'm trying not to laugh, but it doesn't work. "S-sorry," I manage between giggles. He's glaring at me now. "I didn't mean to."

His glare slowly starts to fade into a smile. That escalades into a chuckle and before long we're both laughing so hard tears are streaming down our cheeks. I'm doubled over, one hand clutching my aching stomach while the other grasps the edge of his desk in a firm hold. He's long since collapsed in his chair, his hands gripping the arms tight.

"Larry said you were having issues, Quintin," a partly amused, partly annoyed voice says from behind me. "He didn't mention that you and Evelyn had gone mad."

I suck in a deep breath as I try to speedily compose myself. I calm down enough to wipe my tears away, but a giggle escapes my lips every few seconds. Quintin stands up, still chuckling, and shakes his head. He wipes at his tears, too.

"You should know better than anyone, Bernard, that I've always been a bit mad. And Evelyn," Quintin spares a glance in my direction as I turn to face Bernard, too. "I'm not quite sure what's wrong with her."

"I blame it on the large quantities of time I'm required to spend with you, seeing as you can't draw your own designs," I retort sassily, placing my hands on my hips.

"Touché!" he remarks with a smile.

Bernard raises an eyebrow. "Can we get back to work now?" His tone is more annoyed than amused now.

I feel my cheeks heating up as I start to apologize, but Quintin speaks first. "Oh, lighten up, Bernard. Sometimes, I wish Evelyn were Head Elf. Then we could at least have a little fun while we worked."

My eyes widen as my cheeks become increasingly hot. I'm only half aware of the fact that my hand is covering my mouth in surprise. Looking at Quintin, I see a highly amused smile playing on his lips. His arms are crossed over his chest, and he's looking at Bernard as if daring him to do something about that statement. While I know Quintin is close friends with Bernard, though they don't know I know, I have never seen him challenge Bernard like this during work hours.

I slowly turn to look at Bernard. If he was surprised by the statement, he's not now. In fact, his eyes are narrowed in a glare directed at Quintin. His arms are also crossed, and I suddenly feel like I'm standing in the middle of an ongoing war. Though, I highly doubt Bernard is really as mad at Quintin as he's making it look, I still want out of the cross fire.

My brain works at a frantic pace to figure out how to lighten the mood. And it suddenly comes to me. My hand falls away from my mouth, revealing the teasing smile now donning my lips. My eyes are probably twinkling mischievously as I turn to Quintin.

"By the way, Quintin," I say in a sweet tone. Both of them turn to look at me. "Daniel wanted me to tell you 'Hi'." Quintin's cheeks turn red and he sputters indignantly, making my smile widen. Bernard's glare fades as he shoots Quintin a look saying he clearly thinks he's won. "Don't you go getting all cocky now," I chide as I turn to him. "Daniel thinks you're cute, too."

I have to bit my bottom lip to keep from laughing at the mortified expression on Bernard's face. If Quintin wasn't busy being embarrassed, he probably would have laughed. Or been jealous. I'm not sure. Quintin blushes and sputters around Daniel, but I still don't know if he likes him or not. It may be due to the fact that Daniel's the only other openly gay elf here at the North Pole who's still single. And while it is true that Daniel has remarked on the cuteness of our dear Head Elf, neither Quintin nor Bernard have to know that he usually only does it to tease me.

"So," I begin, clapping my hands together. "What did you need my help with?"

"You are an evil, evil elf," Quintin tells me when he can finally form coherent sentences again.

I just grin at him. "I know. It just comes naturally," I tell him with an air of nonchalance.

He just stares at me for a minute or two before grinning and shaking his head. He turns give Bernard a sympathetic expression. "You sealed your fate when you made her Head of Design, I hope you know."

"I'm highly aware that she's probably going to drive me insane," Bernard says after recovering from my earlier statement.

"There are no probablies when it comes to me," I tell him. "Just certainties." I turn back to Quintin. "Why am I here?" I ask, flourishing my arms about to emphasize my words. I'm starting to get slightly annoyed, and I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe Bernard's attitude is contagious?

Quintin motions to the paper stretched across his desk. "I can't seem to get this design right."

"Because you can't draw," I say in a sing-song voice.

I walk over to the other side of the desk and look over the drawing. Bernard moves to stand beside Quintin, and I can feel them watching me. If I weren't distracted by the fact that Quintin really can't draw and all the problems I've already noticed, I definitely would be blushing. But I'm in my element, so instead I grab a pencil and get to work, mumbling as I go.

"God, Quintin, did you let a child draw this?" I mutter, more to myself than him. Vaguely, my brain registers that someone chuckles at that comment.

"Do you have to be so mean, Evy?" Quintin whines, and I think he stomped his foot.

"There!" I exclaim as I lift the pencil away from the paper, finished with fixing the drawing.

Quintin studies it for a moment before nodding, "Yes, it should work now." He gives me a relieved smile. "I knew you could fix it."

I sit the pencil down on the table and give him a pointed look. "Just send for me next time before you try to draw it yourself. Okay?"

He chuckles and I see a grin curve Bernard's lips. "Okay, I promise."

"Good," I tell him matter-of-factly. That teasing smile crosses my features again. "Want me to tell Daniel you said 'Hi' back?" I ask sweetly.

Bernard smirks as Quintin's cheeks turn red again and he stutters, "I don't… I mean… You… I…"

I laugh at his obvious discomfort. "I'll tell him anyway." I start to turn and walk away when Quintin calls after me.

"Evelyn!" I turn to give him a quizzical look. He shifts from one foot to the other. Bernard's watching him with a raised eyebrow. "Do you know if he's doing anything for lunch?"

The question surprises me, but I recover quickly. A smile tugs at the corners of my mouth as I reply, "Actually, he usually eats lunch with me, but Jeremiah wants me to eat with him today. So Daniel's going to be free." I can tell he's fighting the urge to grin like an idiot. "I'll tell him not to make any plans, just to be on the safe side." I narrow my eyes. I place one hand on my hip and point at him with the other. "If I find out that he ate lunch all by himself today, Bernard will be looking for a new Head for this department. Got it?"

Quintin's eyes grow wide and he nods furiously. Bernard's looking at me with one eyebrow raised in question. Pleased with the results, I turn and head for the door. It only takes me a few minutes for me to get back to my department. I smile when I walk though the door. Everyone's bent over their desks, working furiously. I notice that Judy and Matthew have gone back to work, considering the room is lacking their presence.

"You don't have plan for lunch, do you?" I ask Daniel as I approach his desk.

He looks up at me in confusion. "Not currently. Why?"

"Keep it that way," I tell him as I turn to head to my own desk.

"What's going on, Evy?" Both his tone and his eyes hold a world of suspicion.

"Trust me when I say it's a very good surprise," I reply with a grin.

He watches me closely as I sit down behind my desk. As I pull a folder out from under the one Judy's wedding plans are in, he decides to get back to work. It's not long before lunch hour is upon us. I'm the first one in line to clock out. Daniel's right behind me. The door opens and Quintin steps in. I grin as I pass him, stepping out to go meet Jeremiah. I hear him ask Daniel if he wants to join him for lunch, but I don't hear Daniel's response. I've already shut the door and started down the hall. I know Daniel will tell me everything in great detail when lunch hour is over.

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The end of this chapter may seem kind of rushed, but I needed it to end this way or we'd be stuck on Evelyn's first day as Head forever. Again, I hope you enjoyed it and it wasn't too crappy. Please tell me what you think, even if it's that you thought this chapter was sucktastic!


	5. Of Table Clothes and Storage Rooms

I know! It's been like three or four years! But I found this story on my computer and felt a strong urge to continue it. I don't even know if my reviewers will still be around after so long, but here's to hoping. Chapter five is up, and I will try to stay focused and not disappear again! Hope anyone who reads this enjoys it!

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**Chapter Five: Of Table Cloths and Storage Rooms**

I sigh as I look around at the lack of elves decorating the Grand Hall. Daniel likes to refer to this spacious room as our best kept secret. It's his way of telling Bernard that he thinks we should have _way_ more parties than we're currently allowed. Aside from the few holidays Bernard allows us to celebrate, we don't use this room for anything other than wedding receptions.

"Evelyn!"

I turn around at the sound of my name to find Quintin striding toward me with Bernard in tow. My heart gives a little flutter and I'm suddenly very aware of my attire. I'm wearing one of Remy's red button-up shirts, but it's tied just under my bust so that an expanse of skin is visible between it and my blue jean Capri's. I haven't taken the time to fix my hair, yet, so it's a pile of frizz secured into a precarious bun atop my head, with a few tendrils hanging down around my face. I fidget nervously as I feel my face heat up.

"Quintin!" I breathe as they come to a stop before me. I keep my eyes focused solely on Quintin as I try to hide my nervousness. "What brings you here?"

"I heard that you were short on workers, so I thought I'd drop by and help out," he tells me, looking over my shoulder to search the room. "And I brought back up!"

My nerves melt away as I grin. "Are you sure nothing else influenced your decision?"

He gives me a sheepish smile. "I may have other reasons for being here," he admits.

I finally turn to look at Bernard. His arms are crossed and he's glaring at Quintin, making it clear that he'd rather be anywhere else. I lean toward him a bit, grinning as I say in a flirty tone, "So I get to boss you around for a change?"

His eyebrows shoot up and the agitated look fades into one of surprise. It takes me a whole minute to realize what I just did. Oh, no. No, no, no, no. I fight the temptation to close my eyes and pray that this isn't happening. I can see the amused smirk donning Quintin's lips out of the corner of my eyes, confirming that it did, indeed, happen. I can pray for a distraction, though, which I fervently do as I worry my bottom lip between my teeth.

Then Bernard does something that makes my heart stop. He smirks, not in an unpleasant way, and replies with, "Guess you do." And I forget how to breathe. How to speak. How to think. Holy holly, I can't even remember my own name.

"For Christmas' sake, Bernard, don't give the girl a heart attack," Quintin says, his smirk growing into a full blown smile. "You're supposed to be the horrible, no fun having boss, remember?"

"But I'm not the boss today," Bernard shoots back, still smirking. "Evelyn is."

Evelyn. Right. That's my name. At least, when it comes to Bernard. Always Evelyn, never Evy. My heart starts beating again, and all my functioning capabilities return. He doesn't feel the same about me that I do about him. He was just playing along. Just goofing around.

"That's right," I retort in a sassy tone, gaining their attention once more. "I'm the boss today. So let's find you something to do."

"Yes, ma'am," Quintin replies, standing up straight and giving me a proper salute. I giggle while Bernard rolls his eyes, but his smirk has turned into a small grin. I stifle the sigh that tries to slip past my lips because I wasn't the one to make him grin like that.

"Let's see," I mutter as I turn to scan the room once more. "Bridget and Daniel could use help with the seat covers." As soon as the words leave my mouth, I realize my mistake, because Quintin rushes past me, heading for the corner where Bridget and Daniel are working diligently.

"On it!" he calls happily over his shoulder.

My shock only lasts for a split second before I shout, "You had better work more than you flirt, Quintin!"

He waves a hand over his shoulder at me, as if to casually brush my order off. I roll my eyes, but I can't stop the smile spreading across my lips. I know they'll get the job done.

"What about me?" Bernard asks from behind me.

I turn to face him again, and I can't see a trace of the elf that had been joking around just minutes before. He's all serious again. I stifle another sigh as I ponder what task to assign him. I do need someone to accompany me to the storage room to grab the table cloths. My eyes find Jeremiah after a quick scan of the room. He's helping a petite, blonde elf, Mavis, put up the lights. He's been crushing on her all year, so I know I won't be able to pull him away.

"You'll be coming with me," I tell Bernard. "We need to grab the table cloths from the storage room."

"Alright," he says with a curt nod. "Lead the way."

I fight the urge to scream in frustration as I lead him out of the Grand Hall. Oh, sure. He can goof off when Quintin's around, but when it's just us, he's back to being standoffish. I want to cry, to slap him, to yell, 'Can't you tell that I love you, you jerk?!', but I don't. I push it all aside, because Judy's getting married at five and the Grand Hall needs to be finished before then.

Our trek to the storage room was quiet, but I doubt Bernard minded. I didn't even mind at the time. I was still highly frustrated and maybe a little mad. When we reached the storage room door, I pulled my key out of the pocket of my jeans. Jack Frost snuck in a few hundred years back and stole all the decorations for our End of the Year party, so we've resorted to keeping it locked at all times.

I unlock the door and push it open. The light is already on, as I've been making trips between here and the Grand Hall all day. "They're this way," I tell Bernard over my shoulder, and I'm surprised it came out sounding so normal. Like nothing is bothering me.

He doesn't reply as I lead him past numerous shelves overflowing with boxes. I inwardly cringe at the chaos in this room. Jeannie was not very good at organizing. Daniel and I are going to have to hole ourselves in here one weekend and straighten it up. When we reach the shelf the table cloths are on, I start to climb up the ladder propped against it.

"What are you doing?' Bernard asks, reaching out to place a firm grip on my elbow.

"Getting the table cloths down," I tell him, a little confused at the look on his face.

"Where are they?"

"The top shelf," I say, "where they've always been."

"I'll get them," he insists, trying to tug me off of the ladder.

It dawns on me what that look is. Worry. He's worried, but I don't know what about. Shaking my head, I gently remove my arm from his grasp. "Bernard," I say, locking eyes with him. My heart rate increases exponentially, but I ignore it. "I've been in Design ever since I started working at Santa's shop. I've climbed this ladder, and every other one in this room, at least a hundred times. It'll be fine."

He purses his lips together in a thin line, but pulls his hand away from my arm. Very reluctantly, I might add. I start to climb up the ladder once more, fighting back the smile that is trying to make its way onto my lips. I bet he's worried I'll knock a box off on his head. Or break something.

"Okay," I call down as I reach the top. "I'm just going to drop these down to you."

"Alright," he calls back, preparing to catch the boxes I send down to him.

This process runs smoothly until we get to the last box. I pull it toward me and twist to the right to drop it down to Bernard. But the unexpected happens. The corner of the box gets caught on something, and I lose my grip on it. It goes tumbling to the ground at the same moment my foot loses purchase on the rung of the ladder. I close my eyes as I start to fall, not wanting to see the impact I know is coming.

I hit something solid but warm, which was not was I was expecting. A strained 'oomph' reaches my ears as whatever I hit slams into the shelf behind it, and I suddenly know what I hit. I slowly open my eyes to find my vision flooded with deep, dark red. The color of the shirt Bernard's wearing today. My eyes slowly travel up to lock with his once again, and I can't help noticing that our noses are almost touching.

I've never been this close to him before, but I immediately wish I had. Because being this close, I can see the flecks of copper swimming in his brown eyes. Even though I'm a bit mesmerized by his eyes, I manage to mutter, "S-sorry."

"It's okay," he mutters back, his nose bumping mine.

Wait. We weren't this close before. I'm sure of it. And I didn't move closer. I _know_ I didn't. So what's going on here? And do I smell snicker doodles? Yes, I do. And it's coming from him. My mouth is suddenly dry, so I lick my lips, and those intense brown eyes dart down to witness it. Oh, no. I'm starting to lose the ability to think clearly. Come on, Evelyn, keep it together! You can not kiss your boss! Can not! Under any circumstances! So don't even think about it!

"Evy?" Daniel's voice calls from the door.

I quickly push away from Bernard, feeling the heat rising to my cheeks. "Back here," I call back as I move to gather the table cloths that spilled out of the box that caused all this trouble. I inwardly cringe at the fact that I sound a little out of breath.

"We came to see if you two needed any help," Quintin's voice drifts back to us, and I can tell he's moving through the shelves toward us.

"Actually, we could use two more pairs of hands. Here," I say, shoving the now full box into Daniel's arms. "Quintin grab one of those." I motion to the last two boxes as I kneel down to scoop up another.

"I think we could've gotten it ourselves," Bernard mumbles as he scoops up the box next to the one Quintin grabs. My ears must be playing tricks on me, because I swear he sounds a little disappointed.

Quintin and Bernard walk a little ways behind Daniel and I, exchanging heated whispers that I can't make out. I don't speak at all, despite the worried looks Daniel shoots my way every few minutes. I'll fill him in on everything when I can get him alone. Right now, I'm just trying to process what happened back there.

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Ooo! What DID happen in the storage room? Guess you'll have to read and find out! Also, I was thinking of having the next chapter be in Bernard's POV, at least partially. If you would like to see what's going on in his head, let me know and I'll make it so!


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